Scottish Literature

Scottish literature

Through ages

Early literature

• The earliest literature known to be from Scotland has been written in these languages:

• Brythonic (Old Welsh) Gaelic Latin Old English
• Brythonic (Old Welsh) Gaelic Latin Old English
• Brythonic (Old Welsh)
• Gaelic
• Latin
• Old English

• They have been written between the 6 th and the 7 th century.

Medieval Scottish literature

• The language of the Scots was Gaelic. Between c. 1200 and c. 1700 ,both Scotland and Ireland shared a literary form of Gaelic .

• But, t he problems of the Scottish kingdom meant a slow development of the arts. Gaelic culture was primarily oral, and at first dominated by the Irish. Not much that is specifically Scottish survived before the 14 th century.

• Irish text written in Gaelic

Romance Literature

• During the 13 th century literary languages (languages only used to write literature) were used and some well-known texts have been written in French or in Latin.

Late medieval literature

• By the 14 th century arts in Scotland emerged.
• There was an association with the Church and the royal Court and many universities were founded.

St-Andrew University

Late medieval literature, suite

• By the 15 th century much of the Scottish literature was produced from among the Court and some Scottish Kings wrote some interesting texts. It was the golden age of Scottish literature, which last until the Reformation took place.
• During the 16th century, much of the literature was suppressed by the Reformation. The energy of the Scots went to theological and political problems.

17 th – early 19 th century

• Beginning of the tradition of Scottish ballads.
• In Scotland, the Anglicisation increased after the 17th century.
• But there’s a reawakening interest for ancient Scottish literature which leads to many translations.

19 th – 20 th century

• Even if the population of Scotland becomes more and more industrialized and urban, the readers, however, are interested in heroic exploits taking place in a medieval Scottish landscape, and not in novels reflecting the realities of life.
• Among the famous writers, we find:

• Robert Louis Stevenson : Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Treasure Island (1886) Sir Arthur Conan Doyle : Sherlock Holmes (1887) James M. Barrie : Peter Pan
• Robert Louis Stevenson : Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Treasure Island (1886)
• Sir Arthur Conan Doyle : Sherlock Holmes (1887)
• James M. Barrie : Peter Pan

Authors

Robert Louis Stevenson

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

James Matthew Barrie

20 th – 21 st century

• The tradition of fantastical fictions is still very present in Scotland and well-known all around the world.
• The reprinting of ancient Gaelic texts encourages new writers of poesy and fiction.